Centrifugal refrigeration compressor motor



1963 s. F. FOGLEMAN ETAL 3,105,334

CENTRIFUGAL REFRIGERATION COMPRESSOR MOTOR Filed June 2'7, 1961uvmvrozes 5AM F. FoaLs/vmu, Gus A. FoaLEMAA/ JR.

HERBERT C. Sam/1.25

Arrozwsy United States Patent 3,166,334 CENTRTFUGAL REFRIGERATIONCOMPRESSOR MOTUR Sam F. Fogleman, 4941 Mount Frissell Drive, San Diego,Calif., and Gus A. Fogleman, J12, 3365 Iverness St., Riverside, Calif.

Filed June 27, 1961, Ser. No. 120,047 4 Claims. (Cl. 230-117) Thisinvention relates generally to centrifugal compressor motors andparticularly to lubricant sealed electric motors having a surroundingcasing providing means for vaporizing liquid droplets from low pressurerefrigerant vapors.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide a verticallypositioned lubricant sealed electric motor having a spiral vanedsurrounding casing for vaporizing liquid droplets in the suctionrefrigerant gases.

Another object of the invention is to free liquid droplets from the lowpressure refrigerant vapors during movement thereof about thecentrifugal compressor motor and before entrance into the compressor.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a verticallypositioned centrifugal compressor motor that is lubricant sealed in ahousing restricted from refrigerant vapors.

A further object of the invention lies in the vertical connection of alubricant sealed electrical motor with a conventional centrifugalcompressor and the provision of motor shaft sealing means forrestricting refrigerant vapors from the motor.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a combined motorlubricating system and surrounding means for completely vaporizing lowpressure refrigerant vapors prior to their passage to a centrifugalcompressor.

Another object of the invention is in the provision of a housedlubricant covered vertically disposed electric motor and a spiral v-anedlow pressure surrounding vapor conduit operating to support and cool themotor by extraction of heat from the conduit by the refrigerant gases.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention will beclear to those skilled in the art upon reading the followingspecifications in connection with the attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the compressor motor representing a preferredembodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevati-onal view partially broken away; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 3-4) ofFIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawings in which a preferred embodiment of theinvention is shown, the compressor motor and surrounding spiralrefrigerant vapor conduit is generally referred to as M. A centrifugalcompressor of conventional design surrnounts the motor M and isoperatively connected thereto. The centrifugal compressor has beendesignated generally as C.

The compressor motor and refrigerant vapor conductor M of the presentinvention comprises an outer vertically disposed cylindrical casinghaving a bottom 12. A base plate 14 of the centrifugal compressor C issecurely bolted in the plural manner 16 to the casing ltland forms a topsealing cover aperture-d centrally at 17. An upper low pressure suctionchamber or conduit 18 is secured at 20 to an outlet 21 in the casing 10.The chamber 18 is connected to the conventional centrifugal compressor Cat 22 and the suction vapors are drawn into a conventional centrifugalimpeller 23 thereof.

A vertically positioned cylindrical motor housing 24 within the casing14? has a base 26 securely bolted at 28 and sealed at 30 on the bottom12 of the outer casing 3,196,334 Patented Oct. 8, 1963 10. A motorhousing top plate 32 is apertured centrally at 34 and bolted at 36 andsealed at 38, respectively, on the expanded upper edge 46 of the casing24-. A casing 42 of a conventional electric motor 44 is pressed into andsecured to the inner wall of the motor housing 24. Upper and lowerbearings 46 and 48, respectively, of conventional design, and not shownin detail, support a vertical motor shaft 50. The motor shaft 50projects through the apertures 34 and 17 of the plates 14 and 32,respectively, and is keyed at 52 to the impeller 23 of the conventionalcentrifugal compressor C. A labyrinth seal 54- secured between theplates 14 and 32 restricts the flow of refrigerant vapors into the motorhousing 24.

Continuous spiral vanes 56 surround and are secured to the outerperiphery of the motor housing 24. The outer edges of the spiral vanes56 are secured to the inner periphery of the outer casing 16. Acontinuous groove 58 is formed adjacent to the outer edges of the spiralvanes 56 to permit downward flow of any liquid droplets from the suctionvapor, as will be described later. A suction refrigerant vapor inlettube 60 tangentially enters the spiral vapor conduit 62 formed by theupwardly ascending vanes 56. The interior of the motor housing 24 isalmost entirely filled with lubricating oil 0 and the upper and lowerbearings 46 and 43 of motor 44 are covered at all times.

The electric motor vertically supported, sealed and continuouslylubricated within the motor housing 24-, is secured against horizontalmovement by the outside casing 10 connected thereto by the continuousintervening spiral vanes 56. The refrigerant vapor entering the conduit62 about the motor housing 24 maintains its highly rotating velocityuntil it flows into the suction chamber 18. During the aforementionedpassage of the highly rotating vapor the lighter suction vapor iscontinually turning and flowing upward, whereas any liquid droplets thatmay be contained within the vapor tend to flow straight onto the insideperipheral surface of the casing 10. Consequently the liquid dropletsare separated out in a centrifugal separator action and they falldownward along the outer peripheral edges and groove 58 of the spiralvanes 56. The electric motor operates at higher temperature than therefrigerant suction vapor and liquid droplets. Conductive flow of heatfrom the motor through the housing 24, spiral vanes 56 and casing 10superheats the suction vapor and liquid droplets so that a dry vaporenters the centrifugal compressor inlet. The heat transfer into therefrigerant suction vapors also provides cooling of the electric motor.The labyrinth seal 54 restricts the entrance of the refrigerant vaporwithin the motor housing. Therefore, the dry suction vapor may passthrough the chamber or conduit 18 into the conventional compressor Cinduced by the impeller 22.

While the embodiment of our invention shown herein is fully capable ofperforming the objects and advantages desired, it will be apparent tothose skilled in the art that numerous modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the inventive concept disclosed herein. It is notintended that this invention be limited by the embodiments disclosed butonly as necessary in accordance with the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A refrigerant vaporizing device, comprising;

a hollow cylindrical outer housing adapted to be vertically disposed,and having closed upper and lower ends;

a compressor unit including a rotatable impeller centrally disposed uponsaid housing upper end, and having a vapor inlet opening;

a cylindrical motor housing having a motor disposed therein with themotor shaft protruding from one end thereof, said motor housing being ofsubstantial- 1y lesser diameter than said outer housing andconcentrically disposed therein with said motor shaft extending throughan opening in said upper end of said outer housing and drivinglyengaging said impeller;

a vapor inlet tube coupled to an opening in the circumferential surfacenear the lower end of said outer housing for delivering vapor int-o theannular space between said housings in a direction substantiallytangential thereto;

a vapor outlet tube coupled between an opening near the upper end ofsaid outer housing and said vapor inlet opening of said compressor;

and a fiat strip of material disposed perpendicular to the longitudinalwall of said outer housing and wound about said motor housing in aplurality of helical turns so as to define Within said annular space avapor channel extending helically from said vapor inlet tube to saidvapor outlet tube.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fiat strip has anupwardly facing groove formed adjacent the outer circumferential edgethereof for continuously carrying condensed droplets of refrigerantdownward toward said vapor inlet tube.

3. A motor mount and refrigerant vaporizing device 25 for attachment toa centrifugal compressor comprising:

a sealed housing; an oil covered electric motor vertically supported insaid housing and having a drive shaft projecting upwardly therefrom; acasing and refrigerant chamber surrounding the sides and top andconnected to the base of said housing; a centrifugal compressor, driveconnected to said shaft and having an outlet, a compressor inletcommunicating with the interior of said casing; spiral vanes disposedbetween and connected to said housing and easing, whereby liquiddroplets will be discharged from said vapor and vaporized by heattransferred from the electric motor before entrance to said centrifugalcompressor; and means for sealing said drive shaft against the entranceof refrigerant vapors.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3 in which said last means is alabyrinth seal disposed between the said housing and casing and aboutsaid drive shaft adapted to prevent overpressure within said housing.

Referenccs Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS835,836 Schulz Nov. 13, 1906 1,970,484 Arutunoff Aug. 14, 1934 2,001,172Wintroath May 14, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS 547,855 Italy Sept. 15, 1956

1. A REFRIGERANT VAPORIZING DEVICE, COMPRISING: A HOLLOW CYLINDRICALOUTER HOUSING ADAPTED TO BE VERTICALLY DISPOSED, AND HAVING CLOSED UPPERAND LOWER ENDS; A COMPRESSOR UNIT INCLUDING A ROTATABLE IMPELLERCENTRALLY DISPOSED UPON SAID HOUSING UPPER END, AND HAVING A VAPOR INLETOPENING; A CYLINDRICAL MOTOR HOUSING HAVING A MOTOR DISPOSED THEREINWITH THE MOTOR SHAFT PROTRUDING FROM ONE END THEREOF, SAID MOTOR HOUSINGBEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY LESSER DIAMETER THAN SAID OUTER HOUSING ANDCONCENTRICALLY DISPOSED THEREIN WITH SAID MOTOR SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGHAN OPENING IN SAID UPPER END OF SAID OUTER HOUSING AND DRIVINGLYENGAGING SAID IMPELLER; A VAPOR INLET TUBE COUPLED TO AN OPENING IN THECIRCUMFERENTIAL SURFACE NEAR THE LOWER END OF SAID OUTER HOUSING FORDELIVERING VAPOR INTO THE ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN SAID HOUSING IN ADIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY TANGENTIAL THERETO; A VAPOR OUTLET TUBE COUPLEDBETWEEN AN OPENING NEAR THE UPPER END OF SAID OUTER HOUSING AND SAIDVAPOR INLET OPENING OF SAID COMPRESSOR; AND A FLAT STRIP OF MATERIALDISPOSED PERPENDICULAR TO THE LONGITUDINAL WALL OF SAID OUTER HOUSINGAND WOULD ABOUT SAID MOTOR HOUSING IN A PLURALITY OF HELICAL TURNS SO ASTO DEFINE WITHIN SAID ANNULAR SPACE A VAPOR CHANNEL EXTENDING HELICALLYFROM SAID VAPOR INLET TUBE TO SAID VAPOR OUTLET TUBE.